Dictyopsella charentensis Loeblich & Tappan, 1985b

Simmons, Michael, Bidgood, Michael, Consorti, Lorenzo & Schlagintweit, Felix, 2025, A Review Of The Identity And Biostratigraphy Of Cenomanian “ Larger ” Benthic Foraminifera: Part 2 - The Order Loftusiida (Excluding The Suborder Orbitolinina), Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 21 (1), pp. 103-192 : 165

Dictyopsella charentensis Loeblich & Tappan, 1985b

Figure 27

T 1985b Dictyopsella charentensis Loeblich & Tappan , p. 179, pl. 1, figs. 9-11; pl. 2, figs. 1-9; fig.1; Cenomanian, France.

Reference Images: Loeblich & Tappan (1985b), p. 179, fig. 1; pl. 1, figs. 9-11; pl. 2, figs. 1-9. The holotype has been rephotographed and illustrated by the Smithsonian National Museum for Natural History: https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/paleo/?ark=ark:/65 665/31ddbcd412c514eddaa915bf61c9c7c2d

Taxonomy/Identity: Described by Loeblich & Tappan (1985b, p. 179) as a “small lenticular Dictyopsella …” SEM illustrations nevertheless show a typical “discorbid” shape with a subcircular outline and a moderately concave umbilical side. Chambers are typically crescentic and evolute on the spiral side with strongly oblique, depressed sutures and typically subtriangular and involute on the umbilical side with slightly curved and depressed radial sutures. In umbilical view the final chamber occupies up to a third of the test circumference. The subepidermal network is distinct.

D. charentensis differs from the Santonian D. kiliani in being smaller, more lenticular, and in having a less extensive subepidermal network and from the Maastrichtian D. hofkeri Loeblich & Tappan, 1985b in having a smaller umbilicus and depressed sutures. Another Santonian form, D. muretae Hottinger, 1967 , has more numerous chambers (8-14 cf. 6-7). Dictyopsella chalmasi Schlumberger, 1900 has been shown to belong to the genus Hemicyclammina (Caus et al., 1978) .

Dictyopsella cuvillieri Gendrot, 1968 was designated the type species of Dictyopsellinoides by Loeblich & Tappan (1985, and re-confirmed by Sun & Schlagintweit, 2024). The early Turonian Dictyopsella fragilis Hercogová, 1988 is impossible to assess further due to the lack of detail on the internal structure.

Apart from Loeblich & Tappan’s record from France, there seems to be no further mention of this species in the literature concerning other occurrences.

Confident Stratigraphic Range: Cenomanian (undifferentiated).

Uncertain Stratigraphic Range: not applicable.

Geographic Distribution: Western Neotethys ( France).

Figures

Fig. 27. Representative illustrations of Dictyopsella charentensis: a. Dorsal view (camera lucida drawing), Loeblich & Tappan (1985b, fig. 1, France); b. Umbilical view (SEM photograph), Loeblich & Tappan (1985b, pl. 1, fig. 10, France); c. Near equatorial section (deep cut), Loeblich & Tappan (1985b, pl. 2, fig. 8, France); d. Near equatorial section (shallow cut), Loeblich & Tappan (1985b, pl. 2, fig. 4, France).